This is a blog about a girl who could not read for a very long time. She has waited 14 long years to be able to read and wants to share her love of books with anyone who loves to get lost in a world of their own imagination.

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Booksellers Celebrate Indies First Storytime Day

(from publishersweekly.com
by Judith Rosen)

Saturday, May 17 marked the launch of Indies First Storytime Day. The date was selected to coincide with the 95th annual Children’s Book Week and to offer an opportunity to celebrate independent bookstores six months after the inaugural Indies First Day, the brainchild of Sherman Alexie, which was designed to bring authors into indies on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

More than 125 independent bookstores from Maine to California held storytimes with hundreds of children’s authors. The hook was that children’s authors were encouraged to share the works of other writers. Event spokesperson Kate DiCamillo, the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and author of the 2014 Newbery-winning Flora & Ulysses, read one of Mo Willems’s Pigeon books at Chapter2Books in Hudson, Wis. “We were thrilled,” said store owner Sue Roegge, for whom the day’s crowd made a big difference. It helped new and old customers find her store after it was forced to move with just 30 days’ notice from its longtime location at the beginning of March.

The Berenstain Bears didn’t exactly read, but they did make an appearance at Book People of Moscow, Idaho, and hold up some of their favorite books, like Nine Words Max by Dan Bar-el, illustrated by David Huyck. Laryngitis forced Marissa Meyer, author of the Lunar Chronicles, to have her husband read for her at Teaching Toys and Books in Tacoma, Wash. He said that he wasn’t used to being in the limelight, but went on to read Sparky! by Jenny Offill, illustrated by Chris Appelhans, and a few other stories. “It was our first-ever author event,” said owner Melissa Tennille, adding, “we learned a lot from it.” She plans to do more now that the store’s inventory has changed from primarily toys to half books and toys.

Book Beat, just outside Detroit in Oak Park, Mich., tried to adopt as many of DiCamillo’s ideas for Indies First Storytime Day as possible. “In her letter she suggested that someone read the first chapter of The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis,” the store posted on its blog. “And so, we invited him to read from that and he did!” To keep the Newbery Medalist company, Book Beat invited another 14 authors to spend the day at the store.

Although some stores didn’t see the attendance that they had anticipated, it was a good day at Diesel, A Bookstore, in Larkspur, Calif. “It was successful for us,” said co-owner John Evans, adding that sales were up in the store even more than he had projected. Book People of Moscow, Idaho, began its celebration earlier in the week with Ben Hatke’s Zita the Spacegirl book release party, which really paid off. “We had lots of kids dressed up as Zita and other characters from the series, and Ben was able to join us for a Skype [visit],” said manager Jesica DeHart. “We then had our regular Thursday and Friday story times– but with a ton more people since the Berenstain Bears were there. We had a family that drove an hour and a half each way to bring their child to meet the bears. Saturday was great, too. We love doing things like this and sales were great.”

Below: a sampling of photos from Indies First Storytime Day.

At Bank Street Bookstore in New York City, Robie Harris and store manager Andy Laties managed a great roar after a reading of Harris's When Lions Roar about conquering children's fears.

Photo: Cary Loren

Christopher Paul Curtis reads from The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963 at Book Beat in Oak Park, Mich.

Also at Book Beat: One of the cakes celebrating Indies First Storytime Day.

The Berenstain Bears, shown here with David Huyck, illustrator of Nine Words Max by Dan Bar-el, made an appearance at Book People of Moscow, Idaho.

Photo: Rita Maggio

At BookTowne in Manasquan, N.J., Liz Garton Scanlon (l.), read from her picture book All the World, while Audrey Vernick (r.) waited to read from Edgar's Second Word.

Kate DiCamillo, author of the 2014 Newbery Award-winning Flora & Ulysses, with librarian John Schu, who drove 400 miles to see her at Chapter2Books in Hudson, Wis.

LeUyen Pham read Caps for Sale at Diesel, A Bookstore, in Larkspur, Calif., then drew some of the kids as monkeys

At Teaching Toys and Books in Tacoma, Wash., author Marissa Meyer (l., in white dress) listened to the reading.

About Me

I am a good person who believes in the good in others. I am a fiercely loyal friend. I am an RN and not working right now.I plan on going back, which may not be an option due to my disabilities, but I have other options I am exploring. I love books! I, growing up, always had a book in my hand. I love getting lost in a world of books, a world that is not my same day to day world. I love comic books.I went to my first ComicCon this year and am already ready for next year! I adore movies.I will watch almost any movie but prefer horror, dark comedies, IFC type movies, and classics like The Postman Always Rings Twice. I love TCM! I am a big kid! I love Nickelodeon. I love all types of music. I tend to lean towards heavy metal, classic rock, old rap, some top 40. I love the winter and snow,so I am thrilled that it is Novemeber. There is nothing at all that compares to a walk in the snow. I have a wonderful husband of 13 years who is a one in a million find. He knows me better than I know myself. I have a mini-poodle rescue named Nino. I call him my companion because he follows me everywhere and is very in tune to me, very protective of me especially concerning my disabilities. He has his own blog! I have a lot of disabilities but people are surprised to find this out because I am always laughing and smiling and in a good mood. Why cry? It changes nothing and gives you a headache! I would love to do a lot more traveling. I am a homebody but going to PA and WY were very memorable for me. I love bakery deserts like Canolis. A chocoholic - Godiva all the way!! My favorite is anything mint chocolate. I also love and collect stickers! I have been reading a lot lately and I love it. I have a blog you can find here http://www.bloglovin.com/mismatchedbookends.

Come follow me! Meeting new people is the thing I love the most in life. Everyone has something to teach us. And every person you meet helps you grow in some way. The experience may not always be positive, but you may learn an important lesson.